David Lee Joyner is an in-demand pianist, composer, vocalist, and educator in the Pacific Northwest region and owner of DLJ Music Services. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, David came to Western Washington from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he held the position of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies from 1986 to 2000. From 2000 to 2017, he was Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Joyner has performed and lectured all over the world and has backed up such celebrities as Bob Hope, Henry Mancini, Rich Little, Steve Allen, and Danny Thomas. Locally, he performs regularly with Seattle vocalists and bands. A scholar in jazz and popular music, he has written numerous published articles and books, including a chapter for the Cambridge History of American Music and the third edition of his history text, American Popular Music, published by McGraw-Hill and used in universities for the last 30 years. He is currently working on a biography of rock ‘n roll pioneer Bill Haley, commissioned by the Haley estate. His album Up Front, featuring 14 of his original compositions, his piano artistry, and some of the finest jazz musicians in the Northwest, was released in 2022.
- Jazz in Olympia: Big Time Small Town Scene – By David Lee JoynerI think the state’s capital is a treasure—beautiful, less crowded, economically accessible, friendly, it had great schools for my kids, and it was a convenient commute to my day gig as Director of Jazz at Pacific Lutheran University in south Tacoma. To my delight, I also discovered a vibrant community of musicians in Olympia, some of international repute and stature. Unfettered by the lack of local gigs, these wonderful artists’ activities have flourished, and they welcomed me into the fold with the same small-town warmth possessed by the city in general.